{"id":13236,"date":"2023-12-15T18:02:16","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T18:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/?p=13236"},"modified":"2023-12-15T18:02:17","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T18:02:17","slug":"heroic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/heroic\/","title":{"rendered":"HEROIC:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Meet Sgt. MACIEL HAY, United States Army\u2019s First Female Active-Duty Sniper<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>\u2026 grew up shooting, mostly rifles and handguns, on family\u2019s ranches in Rocklin, California and Medford, Oregon<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


*Qualified using the M4 assault rifle during basic training, serving as a cavalry scout with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade
*Sniper school selection process not for the faint of heart, it is an intensive 29-day course that focuses on field craft and marksmanship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Purpose of the Sniper course is to develop snipers to be adaptive, critical thinkers, armed with the technical, tactical; logistical skills to plan and execute precision long-range, direct rifle fire against enemy targets while serving as a member of a Sniper Team
*\u201cMy nickname came from the fact that I could find things really fast, similar to how a sniper does target detection\u201d-HAY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


*BY AHMED LUKAS\/ARMY Correspondent, Virginia & GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU\/AMERICA Senior Investigative Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


SHE\u2019S HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, SMART AND A DEEP THINKER. HER NAME IS MACIEL HAY, the first active-duty female U.S. Army sniper. She is presently a cavalry scout with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, at Fort Moore, Georgia. Though her childhood nickname was \u201cSniper,\u201d there was no guarantee that\u2019s what Army Sgt. Maciel Hay would become.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Her word: \u201cI grew up shooting, mostly rifles and handguns, on my family\u2019s ranches in Rocklin, California and Medford, Oregon\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an Army press release, Hay explained: \u201cBut the nickname came from the fact that I could find things really fast, similar to how a sniper does target detection.\u201d But now, she\u2019s the Army\u2019s first female active-duty sniper.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA close friend of mine told me I\u2019d never make it in the Army, and there\u2019s no way I could become a sniper,\u201d Hay said. \u201cNeedless to say, that person is no longer part of my life. But now that I look back at it, I really do appreciate the motivation.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hay qualified with the M4 assault rifle during basic training. Now she serves as a cavalry scout with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade.
\u201cEven though I only shot sharpshooter at first, then eventually expert later on in basic training, my drill sergeant encouraged me to pursue the goal of sniper school,\u201d Hay said.
Sgt. 1st Class Antwon Jones, Hay\u2019s platoon sergeant, was one of many who supported her goal of becoming a sniper.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSgt. Hay is just an incredible non-commissioned officer that comes to work every day with the intention of making not only her team better, but also the entire organization,\u201d he said in the release.
The sniper school selection process is not for the faint of heart. It\u2019s an intensive 29-day course that focuses on field craft and marksmanship, according to the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Moore, Georgia.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe purpose of the Sniper course is to develop snipers to be adaptive, critical thinkers, armed with the technical, tactical, and logistical skills necessary to plan and execute precision long-range, direct rifle fire against enemy targets while serving as a member of a Sniper Team,\u201d the course description reads.
Hay hit snags during the course but ultimately persevered.
\u201cThe rapid target engagement and intelligence reporting were two of the toughest areas for me,\u201d said Hay. \u201cI also struggled with the very last test where we had to engage long distance targets while sitting on our rucksacks. That position threw off my balance.\u201d
After learning how to readjust, she came out of the course successfully and ultimately graduated Nov. 3 as the first female active-duty Army sniper.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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